David Whalen Purchases 525 Shares of Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) Stock

Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL) Director David Whalen purchased 525 shares of Pool stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $190.44 per share, for a total transaction of $99,981.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,936 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,701,771.84. This represents a 6.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Pool Price Performance

Pool stock opened at $175.37 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $208.95 and a 200-day moving average of $234.31. Pool Corporation has a 52-week low of $175.01 and a 52-week high of $345.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.13, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.16.

Pool (NASDAQ:POOL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.09. Pool had a net margin of 7.57% and a return on equity of 32.37%. The business had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.32 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. Pool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.870-11.170 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Pool Corporation will post 11.08 EPS for the current year.

Pool announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Wednesday, April 29th that authorizes the company to repurchase $600.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the specialty retailer to buy up to 7.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Pool Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This is a boost from Pool’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.25. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. Pool’s payout ratio is presently 47.84%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pool

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Pool by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 122 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Pool during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in shares of Pool by 78.6% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 125 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in Pool in the second quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in Pool by 348.4% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 139 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. 98.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Pool

Here are the key news stories impacting Pool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Director David G. Whalen bought 525 shares of Pool at $190.44, adding to his stake in a show of insider confidence that can help sentiment around Pool Corporation (NASDAQ:POOL). SEC Form 4 filing
• Positive Sentiment: Pool recently raised its quarterly dividend to $1.30 per share and authorized a $600 million share repurchase plan, both of which signal management confidence and capital returns to shareholders.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s last earnings report beat EPS expectations, but revenue came in below analyst estimates, leaving investors with a mixed read on demand and near-term growth.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain mostly cautious, with a consensus “Hold” rating and multiple target-price cuts, suggesting the market still sees limited upside after the stock’s sharp pullback.
• Negative Sentiment: There was no new earnings beat, guidance raise, or major business catalyst in the latest articles, so the stock’s decline appears tied more to valuation pressure and concerns about demand normalization than to a company-specific shock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

POOL has been the topic of several recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $246.00 price target on Pool in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Pool from a “sell (d)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pool from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Pool from $240.00 to $210.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Pool from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Pool presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $261.38.

About Pool

Pool Corporation is a leading wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related outdoor living products. Headquartered in Covington, Louisiana, the company serves a diverse customer base that includes service professionals, independent retailers, high-volume builders, and national retail chains. Pool Corporation’s extensive branch network enables it to maintain strong local customer relationships while leveraging its scale to source products efficiently from manufacturers around the world.

The company’s product portfolio spans pool and spa chemicals, water treatment equipment, pumps, filters, heaters, automation and control systems, liners, safety covers, and cleaning accessories.